Last year I went to a dentists' office to get my teeth fixed after having neglected them. They put fillings into one. A few days later, as I was washing my teeth, the filling started coming out! I was a bit surprised but I'm in no way a dentist so didn't think much of it at the time. That weekend I returned and this time it was another dentist (at the same office) who looked at it. He said the previous dentist used the wrong filling. It should have been a white filling (because apparently those are better quality), not the black filling they used. Not sure what to think about that but it was a bit annoying.

I'd be inclined to just return to my regular dentist if he wasn't in the process of retiring, but recently he was canceling my appointments almost as often as I was calling to make them, which is one of the factors that led me to consult a new dentist in the first place.

If he's that close to packing in his shingle, how about asking him for recommendations? Less of a crap shoot than picking names out of a phone book, and you're likely to wind up with a trusted colleague that won't try to defraud you any more than he did.

Chances are when he does retire, his patients are going to be redistributed to fellow practices anyways - Get your pick of the lot now before they start to fill up.

I'd be wary of what you just described, with the insurance details and the upselling. "Only teeth you've got" is an emotional pitch, which I don't trust. Maybe its different elsewhere, but I've never been in a dental office that sold products - They've recommended stuff and suggested brands, told me where to find it locally, but anything I left with was either included in the treatment or given to me as a sample.

It should have been a white filling (because apparently those are better quality), not the black filling they used. Not sure what to think about that but it was a bit annoying.

Not all dentists are trained for bonding white composites - From what I understand, they have to take additional courses on their own. Also, some insurance plans will not cover composites, meaning you pay the difference. Since they're trickier to place, they may fail early if the bonding didn't go perfectly.

Silver amalgam fillings are harder, cheaper and need much less time and skill to place, but do need more drilling and can weaken the tooth. The important thing is to remember that they're two different technologies with their own pros and cons. My last two dentists preferred amalgam for the solid, less-visible teeth in the back, and composite when looks mattered.

At some point you have to figure out how much you trust your dentist - One that invested the time and money in the training might be recommending it just to make a return on his investment, but they might also think it's the best thing for your teeth.